


I would like it to be you (and you, and you)

by CaineGreyson



Category: Bridgerton (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, daphne has another interesting walk, except friedrich has some spicy ideas, implied polyamory, just your casual promenade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:48:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaineGreyson/pseuds/CaineGreyson
Summary: Prince Friedrich realises Daphne’s feelings for the duke are far deeper than she cares to admit.Luckily, he has a proposition.Set during Daphne’s courtship with Prince Friedrich.
Relationships: Daphne Bridgerton/Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Preußen (1794-1863) | Prince Frederick of Prussia, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset/Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Preußen (implied)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 203





	I would like it to be you (and you, and you)

**Author's Note:**

> the premise for this is basically that friedrich has gathered a lot of information on the entanglement between simon and daphne and he has a neat little idea to sort it out.
> 
> polyamory solves most love triangles more effectively than anything else and I will stand by that

“I do not wish,” Friedrich said quietly, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked with Daphne across the grass, “to make assumptions about the emotions of your heart, Miss Bridgerton. I am not so brave as to consider myself an expert in the inner workings of your heart after so short a time.”

Daphne was the picture of grace. She smiled. “I believe you know my heart better than most, Your Grace, if I may say so. Do go on.”

Friedrich took a breath of the crisp autumn air. It was growing cooler now as the first touch of winter set in, drawing the dances and the balls on for longer each evening as every family of the ton fought to stave off the dark days ahead. 

Those balls were where Friedrich’s suspicions had started. He was not, contrary to the queen’s belief, dull enough to believe that being a prince ensured Daphne’s attentions. It was certainly one of the reasons she accepted his invitations of promenades and boxing matches and waltzes—perhaps even the main reason, for he knew Daphne’s mind was previously caught up in another man.

That was the exact reason he was here, having this delicate conversation with the quiet sound of chaperone conversation drifting on the breeze. 

“Miss Bridgerton,” he began. “Forgive me if I am wrong, but... you previously formed an attachment with the Duke of Hastings, is that correct?”

He caught the way the corners of her mouth froze, like a smile that was cut from a photograph and pasted to her skin, turning her beautiful features to a strange, uncanny likeness. 

“That is correct,” Daphne said. “But the duke and I parted ways earlier in the season. Our aspirations were not alike.”

“I’m sure,” said Friedrich mildly. “I have spent some time speaking to your brother, Miss Bridgerton, and I have of course read what the famous Lady Whistledown writes. From what I have observed, you and the duke must have had a difficult parting. Your brother confirms this to me.”

“With all due respect, your grace,” Daphne started, “my attachment with the duke is finished and—“

“And you still care for him, I think,” Friedrich interrupted. “You care very deeply for one another, Miss Bridgerton. I see it in the way you look at one another. I say this not to hurt you, but to ensure you that... if you have prematurely ended your attachment with the duke, I would never hold it against you if you decided to reignite it.”

“I have no intention of doing so, Prince Friedrich. I appreciate your concern for the matters of my heart,” Daphne said, nostrils flaring, her pace increasing to a furious tread even as her spine remained ramrod-straight, “but I assure you I am perfectly capable of accepting and, indeed, denying my suitors myself. The duke and I have no more attachment. I enjoy your company very much. May we continue our promenade with some lighter conversation?”

Friedrich was not swayed. “I enjoy your company as well, Miss Bridgerton.” He paused, thinking over his next words carefully. One misstep—scandal, or at the very least heartbreak, and he had no intention of succumbing to either. “I apologise if I have offended you. The reason I raise this subject at all is because I intend to continue courting you for as long as you will have me. I will be entirely transparent, despite the impropriety: I intend to propose. However, I am told the ladies of the ton are sometimes left... unaware of the many hidden configurations of marriage. By this I mean: a marriage between two loving people who, in turn, love others also. Are you aware of this type of arrangement, Miss Bridgerton?”

Daphne looked as if she was straining not to show shock. Friedrich admired her for that: her countenance, which was sometimes so difficult to read, became more and more legible with each passing moment spent together. But the curious ‘o’ of her mouth gave her away: she knew nothing of what he spoke.

“I have heard of adultery, Your Grace,” she said quietly, as if she did not want her chaperoning mother to hear her. “Is that what you speak of?”

“Not quite.”

“Then what?”

“Rarely,” Friedrich began, “it is possible for a couple to find happiness in sharing their hearts with another outside their marriage. Sometimes, these relationships are kept separate; a wife has a separate partner, with a husband who is satisfied to allow the arrangement to continue. At other times, husband and wife may... share. What divides this from adultery is that both spouses will agree to the relationships.”

“And they are happy?” Daphne asked, as if she had never considered such a thing possible. Of course, she likely had not. “They do not... fight, or argue, or find it unnatural?”

“It is perhaps more natural than marriage,” said Friedrich. Gravel crunched beneath his boots as they passed onto a wide path, bringing with it a group of passing ladies. They bowed and bobbed as he passed with Daphne, their hungry eyes taking her in like a crowd of starving predators. “I assure you, many marriages are happy with this arrangement. Even within the ton.”

Daphne was quiet a moment. “I assume you have introduced me to this for a reason.”

“And I assume you can understand my reasons, intelligent as you are. You need not make a decision now—but, Miss Bridgerton, if it is true that the duke has sworn not to marry, perhaps this kind of arrangement might suit you better.”

She whirled, tendrils of her hair twisting around her face. “And you?” she asked, searching his face with an urgency her face could hardly betray to their chaperones. “What of you in this arrangement?”

Friedrich smiled. The autumn sun shone warmly on his face. It truly was a beautiful day. “Well, Miss Bridgerton,” he said, “I have always been taught the importance of sharing. Haven’t you?”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!! I would really appreciate kudos and comments - I don’t post fic as often as I’d like, and I really enjoyed writing this one. 
> 
> have a nice day!
> 
> ~Caine


End file.
